AI will walk through walls or other solid obstacles, if an other path cannot be found - TRUE

AI prefer crouch stance on most surface Types when in stealth or combat mode - TRUE (That behaviour is linked to a property in CfgSurfaces. In theory : they will crouch or go prone in combat and stealth modes depending on surfaceType. What's actually happening around them has nothing to do with that behaviour - doesn't matter if they are actually engaging or not.) More information: https://community.bistudio.com/wiki/Arma_3_CfgSurfaces_Config_Reference#AIAvoidStance

AI are able to open doors in some buildings and search - TRUE

It is possible to teach the ai how to properly interact with them - UNKNOWN

AI are able to consider and control the recoil of the weapon - TRUE

You can configure how the AI responds - TRUE

AI can be suppressed - TRUE

Since Arma 3 v1.67 is it possible to create 288 AI groups per side instead of 144 as before - TRUE

In a last resort action AI infantry would flee when unable to engage - TRUE

AI can occasionally suffer a lower rate of fire when pinned down - TRUE

AI unit that comes under fire will no longer return fire with the same accuracy as when it's not endangered - TRUE

Spoiler

Projectiles that pass by, impact or explode near an AI unit make its aiming capabilities deteriorate. The more bullets, the closer impacts, the bigger calibers

the stronger the effect. And the longer it takes the AI to recover and stabilize its aim. Especially if the AI's skill is low. Whereas a Tier1 operAItor may just shrug it off in no time 😉

The effect may not be apparent at first glance. Note that this update does not change the explicit AI behavior and decision making when under fire.

But we still hope this mechanic will significantly contribute to the richness of combat, enhance your tactical options and increase the enjoyment of firefights with the AI.

New cfgAmmo properties:

dangerRadiusBulletClose and dangerRadiusHit were added. And at the same time the functionality of other two, also relatively new, properties was changed.

dangerRadiusHit - defines how far the AI gets alerted by the projectile's impact or explosion. Default value -1 makes this distance be automatically derived from the hit and indirectHit properties.

dangerRadiusBulletClose - defines how far the AI gets alerted by the bullet's pass. Default value -1 disables the detection. (works only for bullets, no other projectiles)

suppressionRadiusHit - defines the max. distance at which the AI becomes suppressed by the projectile's impact or explosion. Default value -1 disables the suppressive effect

suppressionRadiusBulletClose - defines the max. distance at which the AI becomes suppressed by the bullet's pass. Default value -1 disables the suppressive effect (works only for bullets, no other projectiles)

AI in Boats, Helis, Planes, Tanks, & Vehicles

Spoiler

AI will disembark a vehicle as soon as canMove _vehicle; returns - TRUE

Blackhawk AI gunners are more capable while searching for new targets - TRUE (done in OA and merged)

AI door gunner are able to engage targets that the pilot cant see - TRUE(Fixed in 2015)

AI wont use the co pilots seat when the pilot is dead - TRUE(The helicopter crashes no matter how much time you give the co pilot to take control over the helicopter.)

AI helicopter pilots prefer not to crash to trees and hills -

AI drivers hate can-openers (actually any small object with PhysX I believe) and will avoid them, meaning that if you place them under wrecks then the AI will drive around them improving their ability to navigate down roads with obstacles dramatically - TRUE

AI will not used HE or HEAT against infantry when driving a tank - TRUE

AI is capable of sling loading from a heli - TRUE

AI can fly a VTOL plane - TRUE

AI in boats are able to navigate around piers - UNKNOWN

AI can drive physx vehicles - TRUE

AI tries to keep the turret aligned with vehicle's direction if it has no targets - TRUE (As soon as the target is destroyed or the "no target" order was given they turn the turret back to 0° (From vehicle front)

Automated tailhook operation for AI is used when landing on an aircraft carrier - TRUE

AI will not disembark to change position in vehicle (if possible) - TRUE A.I. will stick to their assigned vehicle role even if the driver of the vehicle was killed.

AI will not take your commanding role in vehicle - UNKNOWN

Group units sometimes split into another group when entering another vehicle - TRUE

AI (soldier/vehicle) will find the path faster (when close to or on road) - TRUE(20-01-2016E XE rev. 134014 (game)

AIs in helicopters are able to land (e.g. unload cargo) even under fire - TRUE

If a vehicle gets under fire and it's crew jumps out their aim won't be perfect right away.

AI Detection: Communications

Spoiler

AI will assign secondary targets to their own squad members if more then one player is spotted - FALSE (Each AI will report any goal it sees.
Each AI can have only one goal. The priority will be the goal that is in the field of view of AI or the first in view of AI. If the priority target leaves the AI field of view, the AI will switch to another target.)

AI can hear you more if you carry alot of gear - FALSE (When you have more equipment, fatigue significantly reduces speed. The character is very slow and does not create a lot of sound.)

AI hear you less the further you are away from them - TRUE

AI Can hear gunfire - TRUE

AI is deaf - FALSE

AI will react to being alerted by nearby explosions - TRUE

AI cannot hear you if you are using a silenced weapon - FALSE (that depends on the distance i believe, if your within the vicinity of them they may here you but at distances they may not please correct me here)

AI cant hear you if you are using a silenced weapon and are 50m+ away - TRUE

AI c﻿a﻿n hear you more if you are running vs walking TRUE

AI hear you less if you are crouch﻿ed and moving vs moving at a walking pace UNKNOWN (If your running around crouched does it reduce your sound to the AI or is it no﻿ different then running﻿ in terms of making﻿ sound?) ﻿﻿

You can create a distracting noise that the AI will hear and target while you sneak past FALSE (Noise would be a grenade, or some sort of throwable object that creates a noise when hitting the ground or a wall nearby.)

Spoiler

If you use a smoke shell / grenade A.I. does not react to it. ( Back in the days i created a A.I. feature which does exactly this make A.I. react to any kind of smoke shell / grenades nearby )

If you use a grenade the explosion of the nearby grenade will trigg﻿e﻿r A.I. to get into "COMBAT" behavior but this will be pretty much the same as if you shoot very close to their position.

A﻿.I. reacts to everyth﻿ing near﻿by to the﻿ir position th﻿threatening th﻿em and in this ﻿case threatening could be de﻿fined as d﻿am﻿age /﻿ kill﻿ t﻿h﻿e﻿m and thats w﻿hy they do not react for example to a﻿ny kind of smoke shell / grenade close to their ﻿position. ﻿

AI can hear modded death screams of another AI not in their squad and react to it FALSE

AI can hear the sound of a vehicle distant, or nearby and respond to it TRUE

AI can identify the sound of weapons if they are enemy or friendly FALSE

It slightly increases the hearing when compared to 1.58 (which was ~ 250m).

It also increases the gap between normal and suppressed weapons.

To give you some numbers - you can expect the AI to hear standard gunshots at about 300m and suppressed ones at slightly more than 50m (depends on the AI skill and weapon caliber (ammunition)). Tank cannon is ofc. heard by the AI much further away.

Especially for the louder weapons the values may still seem small when compared to the actual shot audibility (i.e. MX weapons are detected by AI @ 300m, but they can be heard by the player @ > 800m).

We also wanted to avoid detection by units that may - from gameplay perspective - not be really related to the current AO. It's a compromise that can suit stealth missions as well as mid-battle ones.

On the other hand the visual detection of shot has been lowered so AI will mostly rely on its hearing abilities.

===========

There have been some rather big changes to AI detection ranges and in general the detection should now more accurately reflect the audible and visual state (in harmony with vis. update).

And also the gap between AI spotting you and recognizing you as an enemy has been increased. You'll be able to notice this mainly when facing AI that is already in combat mode

and is actively looking for enemies. Focusing its sight in narrow angle and using optics. Such AI will be able to spot you - if you get into its focus area - much further away than AI that has its weapon lowered.

But it will only be able to recognize you once you get a bit closer. (If you get spotted by an unaware AI patrol you are usually close enough for them to recognize you by focusing)

AI Detection: Vegetation

Spoiler

AI will not shoot you through bushes, if he did not see you before - TRUE (fixed in OA and merged).

They can not see through any solid vegetation. Many trees and bushes are partly semi-transparent and have holes in them. And the visual appearance doesn't always reflect the actual view geometry.

AI Detection: Visibility

Spoiler

AI cannot see you if your lying prone in a ghillie suit - TRUE(depends on type of vegetation, and terrain).

AI has 120 degree field of view (IIRC) and will detect objects right in front of them more easily than on the edges - TRUE (since AI usually keeps looking around constantly, the effective field is almost 360)

AI accuracy is influenced more logically in proportion to skill - TRUE

AI accuracy is affected by fatigue - TRUE (First with full stamina, then forced to 0. Accuracy returns to normal only very near the full stamina. This was with 15% precision in the difficulty settings and zero (20%) unit skill. On higher skills the effect is small but still there.)

AI Grenades, Mines, & Throwables

Spoiler

IR grenades do not attract the attention of AI, even if the AI is equipped with a thermal imagery - TRUE

IR grenades can be identified for AI as a target, if you give an indication to AI about a target on an IR grenade - TRUE

AI will run from grenades - FALSEAI does not respond to any type of grenades and does not avoid them.

AI will react to chem-lights - FALSE

When AI uses a thermal sight, the smoke screen is ineffective - TRUE

When AI does not use a thermal sight, the smoke screen is effective - TRUE

AI will use smoke grenades when suppression level is too high - TRUE

Smoke grenades block AI's view - TRUE

Stun grenades can stun the AI - FALSE (there are no stun grenades in vanilla arma3 - (would beTRUEif Ace, or RHS mods are being used)

Tear gas grenades work on the AI - FALSE (There are no tear gas grenades in vanilla arma3.)

AI can detect mines and avoid them if they have a mine detector - TRUE

- AI Sapper reacts to all types of mines - TRUE
- AI sapper commander of the group will lay a route for the group through the minefield, if the group is built in a column - TRUE
- If the group is not built in a column, part of the group may suffer TRUE
- If the AI sapper is a member of the group, the sapper will not make a route for the group through the minefield - TRUE
AI team members who are far from the sapper, do not have time to get information about the coordinates of the mines and may suffer.

Spoiler

Throwing of smoke grenades when suppressed. AI will check if there are some smokes around already before throwing a new smoke.

"Attack target" is not defined for AI:
- When AI has no target data -TRUE
- When AI loses sight of the target - FALSE"Attack target" is defined for AI:
- When AI has target data - TRUE
- When AI loses sight of the goal - TRUE

ContactMode
- AI changes ContactMode "Combat" to "Aware", if there is no direct contact with the target for a long time - TRUE
- If AI changes the ContactMode "Combat" to "Aware", "Assigned target" and "Attack target" reset the last registration of the target - FALSE
The “Assigned target” and “Attack target” values that are active for the target are not reset, this is not affected by a change in the course of time or a change in the distance to the target.
- If the AI changes the ContactMode "Aware" to "Combat", the new value "Assigned target" and "Attack target" is registered, if another goal is in the AI field of view - TRUE

The value of the dynamically calculated error aiming AI "DCE".
- "DCE" will have a value greater than "0.00" if ContactMode "Aware" - FALSE
- "DCE" will have a value greater than "0.00" if "Assignet target" and "Attack target" are not defined for AI - FALSE
- "DCE" will have a value of "0.00" if ContactMode "Combat" - FALSE
- "DCE" will have a value of "0.00" if "Assigned target" and "Attack target" are defined for AI - FALSE
- "DCE" will have a value of "0.00" When AI registers a view of the target - TRUE
- "DCE" AI gets faster the value "0.00" if the target was previously registered in the "Assigned target" and "Attack target" - TRUE

AI skill.

AI skill can be changed from 20% -100% - TRUE (This is only partially true. In Eden Editor the attribute allows only a value between 20% - 100% to prevent AI from being totally stupid. However the setSkill command allows values between 0 to 1.)
The value of the AI skill affects the value of the "DCE" AI -TRUE
The larger the AI skill value, the smaller the "DCE" parameter value.
AI skill affects other AI target parameters - FALSE

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This was actually not a planned project, was an unexpected inspiration from that thread i linked by RozekPoland, i didn't think i was going to get as far as a handful of statements

with this but next thing you know i ended up brainstorming, and reading the whole Development Branch Captain's AI Log thread and grabbing those AI features from the list even from the AI Discussion thread.

There are still some statements that i haven't gotten answers too, so i would hope that some of the members in the community may know if they are true.

Overall i hope that this thread can shed some information to those whom are interested in AI and to those new to the game to give them a good idea on what the AI is actually capable of,

as i was doing the research alot of the stuff i was reading were real eye openers, seeing that the AI can do all this stuff is rather amazing.

As much as we complain about the AI, look at my list .... The AI are capable of ALOT of things, lets add a an AI enhancement mod in there too, and you get some pretty interesting AI actions.

Thread was updated btw

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AI drivers hate can-openers (actually any small object with PhysX I believe) and will avoid them, meaning that if you place them under wrecks then the AI will drive around them improving their ability to navigate down roads with obstacles dramatically - TRUE

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2019 test, infact just now (for this thread), seeing the last test I did about A3 vanilla ai & hearing was two years ago.. They were still deaf then. But it seems that, and perhaps down to us players testing, they have corrected it. Although they still don't do much about it, but it helps that they hear.

I'm delighted that they now react to gunfire. 🙂

I like the thread, we all know, those of us that test ai a 'lot', that they are capable of huge amounts of things (without doubt the best game ai there is). However, unfortunately if they can't get the very basics down to a 'T', they are still lacking. But modded ai can change that.

Going to cover, good cover, is one of those things they lack and that is a basic thing, for me at least.

They do eventually go to cover, vanilla ai, but its not great. But we all live in hope that vanilla will complete the basics, hearing was one of those basics.

I haven't read through the other things, the first two made me think... Are you sure.. 😉

But yes, they do hear now. I would like to see a better response, but hey early days... 😕

I have around 400 ai videos on my ChrisB YT (most taken down a year or so ago, but I put some back up having been asked too), all but a very few are ai tests. So it will be interesting to see if some of the others are true.. Unfortunately most of mine are A2 (modded A2).

"AI cannot see through any vegetation"
Perhaps it would be worth to specify that they can not see through any solid vegetation. Many trees and bushes are partly semi-transparent and have holes in them. And the visual appearance doesn't always reflect the actual view geometry.

You could mention AI's hearing works a lot like vision, as in solid objects will occlude the sound.

"AI can still spot you if you are partially sticking out behind cover even if they haven't seen you initially"
Unless this has changed in the last two years, AI can only see your "central nervous system" so to speak. They can't spot your limbs or sides of torso, only the head and spine. This is why you can hide behind traffic sign posts for example.

One cool tidbit I didn't see here: AI has 120 degree field of view (IIRC) and will detect objects right in front of them more easily than on the edges. Although, since AI usually keeps looking around constantly, the effective field is almost 360.

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If the vegetation is dense enough and you absolutely don't move, not even look around or stick out, as @Greenfist stated, the AI won't spot you even if you're revealed via script command so he knows you're somewhere around.

About AI hearing footsteps they actually do, if you don't use walking pace (which is unbound by default if I remember right) and crawl within 5-7m.

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Sadly, no. The radio item only changes the com channel AI will use - it has no influence on information sharing. I remember a dev confirming that on the forum.

Arma soldiers are telepaths. Or they have 2035 high tech brain implants.

I have long suspected this. So this confirmation saddens me very much. Especially for low-tech warfare, e.g. 50s-60s wars of independence, WW2 mods, etc. where most infantry didn't have access to a radio, even a walkie-talkie.

This therefore limits their tactical awareness. i.e. infantry would communicate by shouted commands and therefore limited in speed and distance of communication.

This constraint is fine but it severely impacts tactics. So its a shame that AI cannot adapt their tactics to reflect a lack of radio.

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I have long suspected this. So this confirmation saddens me very much.

Yup, i agree, i wish this telepathic form of communication was removed its been the same since the series started as far as i can tell, Bis needs to look into this aspect

which if it were removed then the AI response may be different granted they have radios and the can actually communicate with them.

What would be really cool is if units are within earshot of each other that instead of radio comm, they just can just call out the orders, it would be like when your using taskforce radio mod for local, and then long distance

just think the tone, the beeps, the crackle of the comm for AI would add some immersion to your game especially if your in a squad led or leading AI.

Update

- Changed the description to the thread.

- Set the following to true and added descriptions to them along with videos (thanks Greenfist and Grumpy Old Man for your guys input!)

11 hours ago, Gunter Severloh said:

AI can still spot you if you are partially sticking out behind cover even if they haven't seen you initially - TRUE

AI cannot see you if your lying prone in a ghillie suit - TRUE(depends on type of vegetation, and terrain) video

11 hours ago, Gunter Severloh said:

AI has 120 degree field of view (IIRC) and will detect objects right in front of them more easily than on the edges - TRUE (since AI usually keeps looking around constantly, the effective field is almost 360)

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AI drivers hate can-openers (actually any small object with PhysX I believe) and will avoid them, meaning that if you place them under wrecks then the AI will drive around them improving their ability to navigate down roads with obstacles dramatically - TRUE

If I was to write an "obstacle avoidance system" based on this, who shall I credit for such a brilliant idea?

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There are a couple of things players can do that really help ai in this series. From 2016 A3 tests.

One obviously, is to use modded ai. However if your not really into modded ai, you can use just a couple of parts from ai mods that work well.. Zeu_Findcover is great, if used just on its own along with vanilla ai, can make ai much better.

Two, behavioural triggers are something I have used for yrs in sp. They are fairly easy to setup and make the ai much more effective.

Some don't like crouch (in the second video) much, I prefer crouch above every other stance, mainly because it keeps them aware of the surrounding, without being too visible. Not only that, but the ai I use, always uses height ie, building, rooftops, balconies etc to their advantage. So keeping your head down and that of your side, is something that has to be done. But the nice thing about stance/behavioural triggers is that you choose, you become the trainer of your units that way.

So a simple trigger or two can make a difference. First trigger I use when engaging enemy is for ai of every side to go prone initially. Second trigger, after whatever break you think you want (10-15secs), is to come upto crouch, this really has to be used with the findcover pbo, because by the time they come up, they will be in cover.

Now these triggers act like a recommended stance for ai, they 'will and do' use, run, prone, stand etc if required. But overall they will use your preferred choice via the trigger. That is what testing and in-game has shown me over, well, probably hundreds of times. Plus with triggers, I see no hit at all performance wise. Now that depends on what your running etc, so may be different for each player, so testing is the way to go.

Two videos, the first vanilla ai. They don't act terribly bad, but they just don't get to cover quick enough. This means the first firefight was over in just a few minutes. Second video, you'll see is different, with very little used by mods, just zeu_findcover & triggers (which you setup yourself).

Now this is a few years ago, so not sure if A3 ai have changed much regards cover. But still worth looking at.

First; Vanilla ai from 2016..

Second; zeu_findcover & two behavioural/stance triggers. Then just vanilla on the whole.

Behavioural/ stance triggers = how you want them in combat mode (use colours), what stance to use (preferred), then speed (limited, always for me), then timers. Set the trigger up as you would usually.

But these are your choices, use whatever you think best that suits your play style.

Note: triggers will need to be attached to groups/units etc. Its really like a mod, without a mod.

Really what your seeing is, vanilla ai with your training (triggers).. But a must 'zeu_findcover pbo'.

Once the ai (even vanilla), are able to flesh out a firefight, they will amaze most players. It's giving them the time to do that and getting them into cover.

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If I was to write an "obstacle avoidance system" based on this, who shall I credit for such a brilliant idea?

I don't know who would have first noticed this but TheVampire (notable for, among many things, the creation of the DayZ Mission System for the mod) who educated me. He made clear just how much effect this has in a video (the first run through the road strewn with obstacles is with can openers placed and the second is without😞

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I believe (though willing to be corrected if I have misunderstood) that the issue is that some objects used as debris, especially but not limited to vehicle wrecks have no PhysX and thus the AI cannot detect them and will simply crash into them - and perhaps just get stuck at that position just ramming them gently over and over again as can be seen in the second part of the above video. With an object that does have PhysX, they know it is there and avoid it.

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I'm pretty sure the AI can't "hear" footsteps per say - I have a dummy man class with no footstep sounds in Ravage and will do some tests to confirm this.

Most likely, the AI is sensitive to nearby movements, regardless of surrounding objects/occlusions, and it gives the impression they do hear you walking or running.

Aural detection of movement is based on speed. (I'm not sure if different stances have different noise coefficients).

This was very obvious back when units had a slight offset between their actual position and the point they pivot around when turning. A quick turn in place could raise your "noise" level as if you were moving at 50km/h.

Objects do occlude sounds though. Try running behind an AI with and without a wall between you two.